Educating Myself on Antiracism and Allyship

Guest Commentator: Kate Flint, Superintendent, Turner Construction Company, and Member of the YPC Professional Development Committee

In a pre-COVID world, my privilege made it easy to overlook the long-standing injustices in our society. During lockdown, I took advantage of my newfound free time to better educate myself on how to be an ally. I focused on learning more about the racial disparities in our country, and what I can do to create a safer, more inclusive working environment.

The book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism was one of the first resources I turned to. Dr. Robin Diangelo, a white female, details her work as an educator and facilitator on the subject of racism and social justice and her own journey in understanding white fragility. White fragility, as defined by the book, is the defensive response that occurs when a white person feels their privilege is being threatened. This protects a racist status-quo and closes off any opportunity for knowledge sharing and growth. Confronting one’s white fragility is the first step in overcoming your biases and creating an inclusive community.

Companies composed of employees with diverse backgrounds encourage innovation and collaboration. To help build a more equitable workplace:

Take responsibility for your education. There are ample resources to expand your knowledge on allyship including books, movies, podcasts, and videos. Open-minded conversations with your peers are necessary, but do not rely on your BIPOC colleagues to be your teachers.
Strive to maintain an environment that encourages each colleague to bring their most authentic self to work.
Recognize that everyone does not perform optimally in the same environment; they may need different tools or communication styles to thrive.
Throw the Golden Rule out the window; do not treat others how you want to be treated, treat others how they want to be treated.

Implementing these ideas will help to foster opportunities for growth and improvement within your workplace. I encourage you to venture outside your comfort zone, learn more, and inspire others to do the same.

Additional Recommendations:

If History was your least favorite class: Stamped by Jason Reynolds

If you like character-driven stories: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

If you need more intersectionality on your bookshelf: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author.